I am a big fan of party food and one of my faves is the seven layer dip. You dip your chip into the thick, spicy explosion of goodness. You don’t know what you are going to get….Cheese or bean dip?…Sour cream or black olives? I like some layers more than others…I love cheese! Bean dip makes me dance. I’ve never been a fan of the olive.
In the Gospel of Mark chapter 5 there is an incredible story. It is like a big 7 layer dip with hurt, hope, confusion, distraction, healing, death and resurrection.
Jesus is surrounded by party people. It is a massive crowd pushing in on Him. A desperate man pushes through the crowd and falls at Jesus’s feet. He is an important man named Jairus. He is a leader in the synagogue, but that doesn’t matter now, because he is also a daddy. And, his 12 year old daughter is sick…real sick…about to die. He begs Jesus to do something…PLEASE…FOR THE LOVE OF GOD…DO SOMETHING!! He believes and prays a prayer of hope: “Just place Your hands on her. I know that if You do, she will live.” Jesus smiles a kind smile, a knowing smile, and He starts traveling home with Jairus. Time is of the essence, so Jairus does his best to hurry God through the crowd. But, there’s problem…a divine distraction.
There’s a woman who has suffered continuous bleeding for 12 years, the entire life of the little girl. this is the kind of thing that made her ritually unclean and a social outcast. she has spent all her money trying to get better and she had only gotten worse. She has heard all the talk about this Jesus. So she takes a huge risk, the untouchable one pushes through the crowd to touch the miracle man. She sneaks up behind Him…it’s not easy, there’s a desperate looking man trying to hurry him down the road. But, she is desperate too and this is her last resort. She reaches out her hand and touches His cloak.
BOOM!!!
The nanosecond that she makes contact with Jesus she is healed!!! Immersed in a flood of wholeness.
Here’s where it gets crazy…okay crazier. Jesus is immersed in a flood of humanity. He is a being pushed on every side. But he recognized her touch. He stopped. Everyone stopped. He looked around. And he asked: “Who just touched My robe?” awkward…uneasy silence….his disciples are wondering if he has finally lost it. “ummm…Jesus, there are about a bazillion people touching You. What do You mean, Who touched Me?”
I think Jesus just grinned and glanced around with a look of holy mischief. The woman fell at his feet. Busted! She was shaking with fear and amazement.
I think Jesus knew who touched Him…I think He wanted the woman to know who touched her.
He took the time to listen to her story.
This has to be killing Jairus…MY DAUGHTER IS DYING and you are taking time to listen to this lady’s story?! Imagine the frustration that he felt as Jesus is distracted by the needs of others! Can you relate? I can! I have prayed and I’m waiting for an answer. But, God seems to be distracted by helping other people. What is he thinking!?
While Jesus is wrapping things up with the lady, Jairus gets word… Your daughter is dead.
It’s over…
We were so close…
If only…
If only God had behaved the way I expected.
Jesus looks him in the eye and says: “It’s all right. Don’t be afraid; just…believe.”
They get to the house and things are messy. There is loud mourning. Some genuinely crushed family members and friends. But there are Some people just looking to be a part of something. People are attracted to drama like mosquitoes to a bug zapper and there is a large crowd assembled, after all Jairus is an important man.
I imagine, Jesus, once again with a look of holy mischief, clearing his throat, rolling up his sleeves and saying: “ Why are you making all this noise? The child isn’t dead. She’s just sleeping.”
Mourning quickly becomes ridicule and unbelief.
Jairus is crushed and confused, but he is hanging on to something that Jesus said…one word…BELIEVE.
He said it after healing a woman who had been sick the entire time his baby had been alive.
Jesus runs out the posers, so that only three of his disciples, Jairus, and Mrs. Jairus were left inside with Him.
Jesus took the child’s hand and said “Little girl, it’s time to wake up.”
Immediately the 12-year-old girl opened her eyes, immersed in a flood of life!
Jesus tells her parents give her something to eat. I love that! He grins and says I gave her life…you give her something to eat!
So what do we learn from this multi dimensional story of the multi tasking miracle worker?
Maybe…it’s that just because Jesus is working on somebody else’s stuff doesn’t mean that he’s not working on mine.
Maybe…it’s that the way Jesus works with me is completely different from the way he works with others…so stop comparing.
Maybe…it’s that when we are at our lowest we should hang on to one word…BELIEVE.
Maybe…it’s that Jesus makes all things NEW, but He gets to define NEW.
I don’t know, but I do know that Relationships are about layers, even a relationship with God…we will like and understand some layers more than others.
Don’t let that stop you from dipping in…it’s even okay to double dip.
Get immersed in a flood of seven layered goodness
carbonated joy 